The AMX M4 45 is a French tier 7 "Heavy" tank that plays out more like a medium. Attempting to play like a heavy tank in this vehicle will most likely result in many losses because unlike its predecessor, the ARL 44, the AMX M4 45 does not have very good frontal hull armor, in fact, it has less than its' tier 6 counterpart. Many people believe that the AMX M4 45 is a horribly crap tank that has as much potential as a Tog 2 in a tier 10 battle, but the truth is, however, the opposite. This guide will hopefully enlighten you on the strengths of the AMX M4 45 and how to utilize them to their maximum potential. Let's begin:

The table provided does not include any equipment, nor consumables. (90% Crew)

Statistics: (Stock)

Statistics: (Upgraded)

90mm Frontal Armor

90mm Frontal Armor

40mm Side Armor

40mm Side Armor

40mm Rear Armor

40mm Rear Armor

80mm Frontal Turret Armor

100mm Frontal Turret Armor

45mm Side Turret Armor

70mm Side Turret Armor

45mm Rear Turret Armor

40mm Rear Turret Armor

1380 HP

1450HP

7.8 RPM

8.5 RPM

1755 DPM

1912.5 DPM

~30 Degrees Track Traverse Per Second

~32.4 Degrees Track Traverse Per Second

~35 Degrees Turret Traverse Per Second

~32.9 Degrees Tracks Traverse Per Second

Engine Power: 825 HP

Engine Power: 935 HP

View Range: 237M

View Range: 249M

When first buying the AMX M4 45, train the crew up to 75% which obvious unless you don't have enough credits to do so. Grind the second turret ASAP or use free XP to help you out. The stock turret on the thing is the same turret as the ARL 44. This turret, though not horrendous, only allows you to mount the 90mm F3 cannon with only 170mm of penetration. To mount to top 90mm DCA 45, you'll need the upgraded turret. Fortunately, all the guns from the ARL are carried onto the AMX M4 45, this means that the stock grind will not be as painful as other tanks but the tank's full potential won't be unlocked until you get the upgraded turret. Once the upgraded turret has been researched, researching tracks or engine first is a decision that can be made on your part.

Pros:

Decent gun depression

High penetration with both AP and APCR for a tier 7 tank

Turret can sometimes bounce shots

Good mobility, track and turret traverse

Large hit pool

Good Rammer

Cons:

Bad armor with only 90mm at the front for a heavy tank. Unlikely to bounce any enemy shells

Bad base DPM.

Large side profile

Side and rear armor are prone to HE

We will now address the current cons of the vehicle.

To deal with the bad 90mm of frontal armor, I highly suggest that you play cautiously as a second or third line of support. Don't try to be too aggressive because your armor won't hold out. You have plenty of hit points so you can take a shot or two but don't become overconfident because of those hitpoints. A way to describe this tank would be a Tiger-Panther hybrid. You can penetrate almost anything frontally at your tier and above with ease but your rate of fire cannot be too heavily relied upon. Snipe, spot, and sneak back into cover whenever possible. Play this so called "heavy" like a medium because that's what it essentially is.

To deal with the DPM crisis that is this tank, use both the Hot Coffe and Canned Pate consumables which will totally increase your rate of fire by 0.58 rounds a minute, adding to that buy a gun rammer which increases your rate of fire by 1.03 rounds a minute. Adding along vents which will continue to increase your rate of fire by 0.22 rounds a minute which totally adds about 2 rounds a minute rate of fire to your tank. This huge increase in DPM, if your crew is at 100% will put the AMX M4 45's DPM at around 2416 with a rate of fire at 10.74 rounds a minute. If we were to compare this to a tank like the Comet with a DPMof about 2500, the AMX M4 45 will be able to play on more even grounds with other tanks of its tier.

DPM Review:

Hot Coffee

Canned Pate

Gun Rammer

Vents

To deal with the large side profile which is also prone to HE try not to go out into open areas. Areas with a lot of hills or cover are the prime environments that this tank can dominate with is good gun depression. Though nothing can be done to actually shrink the tank itself, positioning yourself and playing in a peek-and-boom style could be effective.

Following these tips and rules may increase your chances of winning a battle in the AMX M4 45. Though I cannot guarantee the helpfulness of this article, I do hope it was at least enjoyable to read. Good luck on the battlefield!